


One in 14,000,605

by Whatsup121



Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Hurt Peter Parker, Infinity War AU, Magic, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter didn't just disappear like everyone else, Peter needs someone to tell the universe to stop messing with him, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:34:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25517350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whatsup121/pseuds/Whatsup121
Summary: "Please, Dr. Strange don't make me do this anymore. I can't do this, I can't." Peter wanted to scream in agony. 14,000,605 possibilities. 14,000,605 lives. He can't deal with this again. Everyday he wakes up is a living nightmare. Please don't make him do this again. Please. Why does this have to be him?[Peter’s alarm incessantly ringed over and over and over again. Groaning, he automatically shut off the alarm. Just five more minutes. Peter needs his sleep, he barely gets enough as it is. Throwing off the covers of his bed, Peter walks to his bathroom to brush his teeth and get ready for the day. After all, he has a field trip today.Wait.Field trip?Peter freezes, wasn’t the field trip yesterday?And then everything comes back to him.Aliens.Spaceship.Thanos.One out of 14,000,605.Dying.]
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 18
Kudos: 102





	1. Nightmare

_Life:1_

The day had started like any other. Peter had grabbed breakfast on his way out the door, waving to Aunt May with a half-eaten piece of toast in his mouth.

As usual, he web-slung to school, the wind rushing past him as he flipped and twisted in the air. Peter couldn’t help but smile, it was incredible being Spider-Man. Sure, some days he wished he could have a normal life, but he really couldn’t imagine himself without his abilities. It was a major part of who he was, and he wouldn’t change a single thing about it.

Even if he really missed his Uncle Ben.

Peter really wished that his uncle could all the good he has done for New York. The smiles on the faces of all the people he helped gave Peter a warm feeling in his heart that could never be extinguished. As long as being Spider-Man made an impact in others lives, Peter would continue helping others. Even if it was just a small deed, rescuing cats, helping old ladies across the street, or even stopping a petty bike robbery.

It made all the difference in Peter’s eyes.

He let out an exhilarated laugh as he spun yet again in the air between releasing one web and shooting another. Smile growing wider, he attempted a particularly complicated flip that drew him cheers from the pedestrians below when he completed it. It was a beautiful day to be web-slinging around the city and Peter was enjoying every second of it. Unfortunately, he had school to go to. Sighing, he swung down into an alleyway and changed into his school clothes.

Cautiously looking around to make sure no one saw him changing, he left the alleyway and walked the short distance to school. Today, they were supposed to be going on a field trip. Peter normally liked going on field trips, he loved being able to see new things and learn from each trip. The only problem was that this field trip was that it was to Stark Industries. The place where he interns everyday.

Sure, the other kids in his class knew that he interned for SI, but that didn’t mean that they believed him. The competition for an internship at Stark Industries was absolutely crazy, people fought each other like rabid animals just for the opportunity to get an interview for the position. So, the fact that Peter, a ‘regular’ high school teen got a internship there, was a completely laughable and ridiculous idea in the eyes of his peers. This in turn led to a lot of mocking and jeers from his classmates. Flash bullied him incessantly over his ‘fake’ internship. Although, for once, Flash wasn’t the only one making fun of Peter’s internship.

The whole _school_ did.

Not only did his classmates mock him, with the exception of Ned and MJ(Although MJ still continued to call him a loser and make fun of his failures, she mocked him to a lesser extent than everyone else), Peter’s teachers didn’t believe that he actually had an internship at SI.

So, it was with that fact in mind that Peter sullenly walked into his classroom.

“Well, look who it is, it’s our resident _intern.”_ Flash really couldn’t leave him alone for one second, could he?

Peter pointedly ignored Flash and stiffly walked to his seat next to Ned, who was practically bursting from excitement.

“I can’t believe we’re actually going on a trip to _Stark Industries!_ Can you believe it? Think of all the cool tech we’re going to see there!! Like Iron Man’s suits! And maybe Tony Stark kept all the Avenger’s gear!! I mean I know they’re kind of all broken up now but maybe Stark still has all of their old stuff around. I mean he has to right? That stuff is way too valuable and dangerous not to keep. And—” Ned gasped melodramatically and leaned over to whisper to Peter. “What if they have your suit?!”

Peter resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands. He did not want to be dealing with this today. He was dreading this trip, and Ned’s excited rambling was only making the dread sink deeper in his stomach. “What do you mean have my suit?”

“Well, Tony Stark made your suit right? So what if he has a prototype or something on display at headquarters?”

Peter held himself back from banging his head against the wall. His patience had been growing thin ever since he had arrived at school. He blamed the upcoming field trip. “Ned, I have a secret identity remember? The suit has a biometric scan specifically made for me so no one other than me has the ability to wear it. I doubt Mr. Stark would leave my suit, even if its just a prototype, out for anyone to steal it. If _anyone_ gets their hands on that suit, they could use those scans to find out my identity, which is kept _secret_ for a reason.”

Ned started to protest. “But—”

“Alright class, it’s time to get a move on! Everyone get on the bus for our highly anticipated trip to Stark Industries!” Whatever Ned was going to say was cut off by their teacher, who was accompanying them to supervise the teens on the trip.

Peter dejectedly made his way to the bus, a few of his classmates leering at him when he walked the aisle to find a seat to sit in. Trying to ignore the comments, Peter looked down at his feet to distract himself from the unsettling feeling growing in his stomach. He amounted it to be dread over the trip.

He was wrong.

If only he had known what exactly would happen that day.

A tingling sensation shocked Peter out of his stupor. Glancing out the bus window, he noticed a giant floating alien spaceship. _Well, that was new._ He tapped Ned’s back, who was sitting in front of him deeply immersed in watching Star Wars on his phone.

“Ned, hey. I need you to cause a distraction.” Peter looked around the bus to see if anyone was paying attention to him. Everyone else seemed to be on their phones, similarly to Ned. Good, no one would notice him jumping out the window.

_“Holy shit.”_ Ned didn’t hear anything Peter had just said to him. Ned was too caught up in his panic of seeing the alien warship just out the window. “We’re all gonna _die!_ There’s a spaceship! _Oh, my god!_ ”

Oh, well that worked better than Peter thought it would.

Slipping on his mask, he jumped out the bus window and straight into the danger of battle.

This was going to be _way_ better than a field trip.

Once again, he was _so_ wrong.

…..

Okay, this was officially the craziest day of Peter’s entire life. He just traveled through _space_. He didn’t know whether to call that cool or scary.

He had almost _died._

Peter was only seventeen, and had just crashed a giant alien spaceship. Well, Tony had helped, but still an _alien_ spaceship.

_Whew, I think I need to sit down for a minute._ Peter was feeling kind of overwhelmed right now. Just a few minutes ago he had been sure he was living out the sci-fi movie Alien. But, so far he was good. No aliens impregnating him or anything. No one could ever be too sure, just think about the possibilities! Scientifically, there is so much life out in the universe. Peter is certain that somewhere the creatures in the Alien movie exist somewhere. Peter just hoped that he would never encounter them. He wasn’t sure his poor heart could take that much stress, he was already dealing with so much right now.

And then there was that tingling sensation again.

“Let me just say, if aliens wind up implanting eggs in my chest or something and I eat one of you I’m sorry.” What could Peter say? It was a genuine concern he had for his safety.

“I do not want another single pop culture reference out of you for the rest of the trip. You understand?” _Aww._ Peter really loved watching movies, even if they sometimes gave his imagination way too many ideas. Sometimes his imagination scared him.

“I’m trying to say something is coming.” Peter could barely get the warning out before an explosion sent him flying into the rubble of the ship.

The impact with the ground made him black out for a couple of seconds. Blinking rapidly, Peter tried to dispel any lingering haziness creeping in at the corner of his vision. Vision clearing, his eyes focused on what was directly in front of him.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” There was a creepy alien with glowing antennas. It was his worst nightmare. _Alien eggs._

“Please don’t put your eggs in me!” Peter scrambled backwards, desperately trying to get himself away from the alien chasing him.

He shot out his webs briskly one after another, pinning the alien’s arms stuck to her body. Suddenly, feet knocked him to the ground. Peter rolled backwards with the impact in order to land on his feet, but as soon as his feet gained purchase, there was a alien weapon shooting at him. Adrenaline pumping, he jumped to the collapsed structures that has once held up the ceiling of the ship. Using his spider legs, he leapt at the masked man shooting at him only to be hit with an electrified rope.

Electricity coursed through his body, making Peter scream as he hit the ground. He grit his teeth as the impact with the metal ground aggravated his sore muscles. _Ouch, that was going to leave a mark in the morning._ The masked alien man walked over to him, picking him up roughly with one arm, the other aimed at his head with his gun. Peter squirmed in his grip, trying to escape, but it was difficult with his arms wrapped to his side.

“Everybody stay where you are. Chill the eff out.” Peter huffed in frustration, _it’s kind of hard to chill out when you’re being held hostage._

“I’m going to ask you this one time. Where is Gamora?”

Peter blinked.

What?

Who’s that?

“Yeah. I’ll do you one better. Who’s Gamora?” Mr. Stark voiced Peter’s thoughts exactly.

“I’ll do you one better. Why is Gamora?” That just made Peter even more confused, isn’t that other alien on the same team as the man holding him hostage? That question wasn’t even correct grammar! Peter would know, his English teacher always got onto him about his grammar in his essays.

“Tell me where the girl is or I swear to you I’m gonna French fry this little freak.” Peter started to panic a little.

_Please don’t._ Peter silently begged.

“Let’s do it. You shoot my guy and I’ll blast him. Let’s go!” Peter was fairly sure that was a bluff. He could hear a hint of worry in Mr. Stark’s voice.

“Do it, Quill! I can take it!” The alien Mr. Stark had pinned was either really brave or really stupid. Iron Man’s weapons were completely and utterly dangerous. Anyone could see that just by looking at the flickering electricity coming off the gun. And Quill? Was that his captor’s name? As in a feather or writing utensil? That’s an odd name.

“No, he can’t take it!” That was the alien girl with the antennas. Peter struggled some more in the grip of Quill to spare a glance at her. At least she was smarter than the other alien. She seemed to be completely aware of the danger her friend was in.

“She’s right. You can’t.” Peter shot another glance around the room to see that was the wizard man.

“Oh, yeah? You don’t wanna tell me where she is? That’s fine.”

_No, no, no no no._ Peter’s breathing frantically increased. _Please don’t shoot me. I swear I’ve almost died like three times on this trip._

“I’ll kill all three of you—”

_I’m too young to die._ Peter wailed in his head.

“—and I’ll beat it out of Thanos myself.”

Wait, wasn’t that the dude that they were fighting?

“Starting with _you_.”

Any thoughts about Thanos completely dissipated from his mind. _Ok, now I’m really going to die._ Peter shut his eyes, he didn’t want to see the look on Tony’s face when the trigger was pulled.

“Wait, what, Thanos? All right let me ask you this one time. What master do you serve?” Peter almost laughed, despite the circumstances he was currently facing. ‘What master do you serve?’ That sounds like a quote from a movie.

“What master do I serve?” His captor held back a scoff. “What am I supposed to say, ‘Jesus’?”

“You’re from Earth.” It was more of a statement rather than question.

“I’m not from Earth, I’m from Missouri.” Peter snorted indignantly, someone really knew their fifth grade geography.

“Yeah, that’s on Earth, dipshit. What are you hassling us for?” Peter just wanted to stop being held hostage now.

Peter decided to finally step up and say something. He was really confused on where this weird alien group’s allegiance laid. “So you’re not with Thanos?”

“With Thanos? No, I’m here to kill Thanos.” Well, that was comforting. But, could he please remove the _gun_ from his face now? That would make Peter feel much better.

“He took my girl.” Ahhh, that explained who Gamora was.

“Wait, who are you?” Peter agreed, he was asking the same question in his head.

“We’re the Avengers, man.” Peter hoped this man knew who the Avengers were, anyone from Earth knows the Avengers. They were the Earth’s mightiest heroes, does that ring a bell?

It was time for this Quill guy to _put down the gun_. It was really getting on Peter’s nerves.

“You’re the ones Thor told us about.” Peter spluttered at the comment. _What!? No fair, they met Thor before me! And I’m an Avenger!_

“You know Thor?” Mr. Stark voiced Peter’s incredulous thoughts.

“Yeah. Tall guy, not that good-looking, needed saving.” _Oooooh, looks like someone’s jealous. Either that,_ Peter thought, _or we’re talking about the wrong Thor._

_“_ Where is he now?”

…..

It took awhile for their differences to be worked out, much to Peter’s displeasure. He had really wanted to be released from that man’s grasp much sooner.

It was _uncomfortable_ being held hostage.

But, eventually Peter got released and now here they were, _arguing_. It was rather pointless actually. They were getting nowhere because of it. They needed a plan, but they had nothing. Quill, turns out his first name was Peter too, but Peter was just going to call him Quill for his own sake, argued against almost everything Tony said. It didn’t matter what his mentor said or did, Quill managed to find a way to do the exact opposite. It didn’t help that the rest of his team followed his every move.

Peter didn’t quite understand what their purpose was here. Apparently, it was “Kick names, take ass,” or at least that was their response when Peter voiced his question.

So, all in all, they just argued.

And Tony got frustrated.

But that was all that happened.

Except for Dr. Strange, he was just, well, _strange_. He was sitting off to the side doing some sort of wizard thing. He was even _floating._ Peter wanted to know the physics behind _that_. It definitely didn’t follow gravity. Well, it was magic, but magic has to follow some sort of logic, right? If not, everything Peter has learned in school would be pointless.

“Excuse me, but does your friend often do that?” The alien girl, Mantis (if Peter remembered her name properly), asked the group worriedly.

The group stopped arguing and looked towards their resident magic expert to see that he was rapidly twitching as if he was moving faster than time itself. Which, thinking about it, he probably was. Dr. Strange was phasing in and out of their reality, looking every direction seeing some unseen force. Suddenly, he screamed and collapsed to the ground after snapping out of his trance.

The wizard was gasping for breath. “I went forward in time to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict.”

“How many did you see?”

“14,000,605” _Wow, that was a big number._

_“_ How many did we win?”

“One.” Well those weren’t good odds. Dr. Strange took another deep breath and took a glance at Peter, looking him directly in the eyes.

“Just one.” The look on Dr. Strange’s face gave Peter the chills.

…..

There was a burning sensation in his chest, his body ripping itself up and trying to regenerate it at the same time. Peter had never felt anything like it. It wasn’t like when he was hit by Ant-Man during the Civil War, or even when he was crushed under a building while facing the Vulture. Slightly panicking, he called out to Mr. Stark, as the genius always seemed to know what to do.

“Mr. Stark….. I don’t feel so good.” One of his hands flew to his stomach, the pain increasing tenfold in just a few seconds.

“You’re alright.” The worry was clear in the billionaire’s eyes.

“I don’t…. I don’t know what’s happening.” That was a lie. He knew exactly what was happening. He was going to die, just like the others. He just didn’t want to accept it, and he wasn’t going to.

“I don’t know…” Peter tried to walk towards his mentor, staggering a few steps, but another increasing wave of pain hit him and he was sent falling into Tony’s arms. He could feel his grip on reality fading, so he desperately clung to Tony, hoping that if he held on tight enough it would keep him from fading to ashes like the others. Alas, the cruel truth was that he could do nothing to stop the inevitable.

“I don’t wanna go.” His vision was blurring in and out, and his head was starting to feel fuzzy. With alarm, he realized he couldn’t feel his hands or legs anymore. Dread settled in his gut as he turned his head slightly on Tony’s shoulder to look at his hands. Even with his vision impaired, he could see exactly what was wrong with his hands.

Some of his fingers were gone.

“I don’t wanna go, sir.” He watched as more of his hand faded away before his eyes. The charred ashes of his skin dissipating as they flew in the air.

“Please.” He could barely feel Tony setting him down on the ground. Another wave of pain wrecked havoc throughout his body, making his tight grip on his mentor slacken.

“I don’t wanna _go._ ” Maybe if I say it enough this won’t be real, Peter thought to himself hysterically. This can’t be real.

He knew in his heart he wasn’t going to make it out of this battle.

He just hoped he would be older when this day came, and not in front of Mr. Stark.

He turned his gaze to the sky, he didn’t want to see the pain on his mentors face when it happened. He refused to see the agony in Tony’s eyes. Peter didn’t even want to think about his looming death. He didn’t want to think of the people he was leaving behind. He was supposed to help others.

He can’t do that when he’s dead.

“ _Please._ ” His voice came out in a cracked whisper, only loud enough for Tony to hear his last word.

His eyes still turned to the sky, he finally relented his grip on reality to the power of the infinity stones.

And then there was nothing.

…..

_Life:2_

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

Peter’s alarm incessantly ringed over and over and over again. Groaning, he automatically shut off the alarm. _Just five more minutes._ Peter needs his sleep, he barely gets enough as it is. Throwing off the covers of his bed, Peter walks to his bathroom to brush his teeth and get ready for the day. After all, he has a field trip today.

Wait.

_Field trip?_

Peter freezes, wasn’t the field trip _yesterday?_

And then everything comes back to him.

Aliens.

Spaceship.

Thanos.

One out of 14,000,605.

_Dying_.

Peter quickly glanced down at his hands. No dust. Was it all a dream? Peter could have sworn that everything was real. Everything was so vivid. The colors, the smells, the sounds, the feelings. He remembered every single detail about it. There was no way it wasn’t real, _right?_

_“_ Peter! You’re going to be late for school!” Aunt May called out to Peter from somewhere in the living room.

So, Peter brushes off the odd memories as a realistic dream. He couldn’t have actually died. He was standing right here. And magic? Please, things like that don’t exist in the real world.

But, somewhere in the back of his mind, a tiny voice said otherwise.

It wasn’t a dream.

This is where the nightmare _begins_.


	2. Deja Vu

Odd.

That’s all Peter could feel. Something felt wrong. It was bothering him during his web-sling to school. He couldn’t even bring himself to enjoy the sunny day. No matter what he did he couldn’t shake the feeling. He kept trying to brush it off as nothing, but his thoughts always went back to that dream.

It was so _real_.

Sometimes Peter was scared at what his imagination could come up with. This dream was only another example. He could see it actually happening. The thought of it frightened him.

The thought of _dying_ frightened him.

He was a teen in high school. He shouldn’t have to worry about these things. He should be worrying about his grades. He should be worried about normal teenage stuff.

_Not this._

Not of dying.

Not of this stupid dream.

Peter finally arrived at school. Maybe the torture of school would distract him from his thoughts. Anything would be better than thinking about the feeling of foreboding deep in his gut. It was making his stomach twist and turn. It made him want to throw up. He could only hope that would forget this dream like any other.

Peter’s thoughts turned dark. Maybe Flash would finally lose his temper today and get the guts to punch Peter in the face. He knew that Flash wanted to, he could practically see the sadistic gleam in his eyes. Maybe then he would forget about his unsettling dream, the punch giving him a concussion and mild case of amnesia. That would solve his problem. Along with getting Flash in trouble with the school for misconduct. Flash getting expelled? That would make his day _so_ much better.

Peter walked in his classroom while stifling a yawn, he really hadn’t gotten that much sleep. Although, he had still managed to have that overly complicated dream with little sleep. That was a feat in itself.

Flash noticed Peter’s arrival and evidently felt the need to comment. “Well, look who it is, it’s our resident _intern.”_

Peter blinked once, and then he blinked again.

_What?_

Those were the _exact_ words Flash said to him when he arrived at school in his dream.

A small coincidence, right?

Peter ignored Flash once again, and took his seat next to Ned.

“I can’t believe we’re actually going on a trip to _Stark Industries!_ Can you believe it? Think of all the cool tech we’re going to see there!! Like Iron Man’s suits! And maybe Tony Stark kept all the Avenger’s gear!! I mean I know they’re kind of all broken up now but maybe Stark still has all of their old stuff around. I mean he has to right? That stuff is way too valuable and dangerous not to keep. And—” Ned gasped melodramatically and leaned over to whisper to Peter. “What if they have your suit?!”

Okay, this was too weird just to ignore. Peter was so shocked he could barely utter his next words. “Umm, could you repeat that?”

“Which part? Oh, you mean the part with your suit? Do you think that Stark put up a display for Spider-Man? That would be awesome!” Ned rambled on, not noticing Peter’s panic-stricken face.

_That’s it! I’m going insane!_ Peter declared in his head as he rubbed his hands over his face. He was living his dream. Or maybe he was hallucinating.

That would be an easier explanation.

How else would he explain dying and coming back to life?

“Alright class, it’s time to get a move on! Everyone get on the bus for our highly anticipated trip to Stark Industries!” _Oh, right. The field trip._ He had completely forgotten about the trip with the incredible sense of deja vu he had been feeling all day. Peter had been deep in his thoughts trying to come up with some sort of solution for his predicament when their teacher demanded that they all get on the bus.

Mumbling to himself, Peter got on the bus. He was still trying to convince himself that he was imagining everything. He was so determined to distract himself from his sense of deja vu that the sharp trill that ran through his head made him jump.

Oh no.

_Shit, not_ _again._

It was that sense that warned him of incoming danger.

Yesterday was the first time he had ever felt it.

But yesterday was technically _today_.

Ned screamed from his seat in front of Peter. _“Holy shit._ We’re all gonna _die!_ There’s a spaceship! _Oh, my god!_ ”

Peter sighed to himself as all of his peers moved to the back of the bus to catch a better glimpse at the floating alien ship.

_Here we go again._

And then he jumped out the window.

…..

Peter was desperately clinging to the alien warship as it was rising in Earth’s atmosphere. The higher up they went, the harder it was for him to breathe. The air was so thin. With the lack of oxygen, Peter’s arms began to shake. He was trembling. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold on.

Putting a hand up to his face, Peter fumbled for the edge of his mask. Upon finding it, he grabbed it and tore it off his face. Maybe without the constricting cloth Peter would finally be able to breathe.

_Nope._ Peter wheezed as he tried to gasp for air.

_Come on Mr. Stark, where are you?_

If Peter’s suspicions were correct, he was supposed to get a new suit in 3….

Peter’s vision blurred in and out.

…..2…..

He could faintly feel his arms slackening and the start of his descent downwards towards Earth.

….1!

There was a clanking sound as a new suit wrapped itself around his body. Peter would have let out a sigh in relief if he wasn’t already gasping for breath.

“Mr. Stark, it smells like a new car in here!” _Thank God for Mr. Stark’s suit._ Peter’s near death experiences were increasing by the minute.

Although, Peter was still kind of freaked out. He knew exactly what was going to happen and when it would happen. What exactly was happening to him? Peter’s frustration was rising as the day went by. Why couldn’t he just have a normal life? Oh, right. He was a teenage superhero. With a resigned sigh, he snuck himself back on the ship. For the _second_ time. Or, at least what Peter assumed was a second time.

Well, at least he wasn’t dead.

_Yet._

…..

Peter wanted to bash his head against the nearest wall. Or in this instance, against one of the giant slabs of sheet metal that had been ripped off of the ship they had crashed because there were literally no walls or buildings intact on this planet.

He was stuck here.

With these _idiots._

A sharp splitting pain struck Peter’s head like a lightning bolt as the voices of the group of heroes he was with increased in volume with the more they argued. It was over small simple things. Tony would suggest one plan, and the ragtag group of aliens would refute it with something completely ridiculous. Like a dance-off to save the galaxy? Is that _even_ possible? All Peter knew was that Thanos was a serious threat to the galaxy and they needed to do something _now_. Panic welled up in his stomach as he thought about his so called ‘dream’.

_“I don’t wanna go.” His vision was blurring in and out, and his head was starting to feel fuzzy. With alarm, he realized he couldn’t feel his hands or legs anymore. Dread settled in his gut as he turned his head slightly on Tony’s shoulder to look at his hands. Even with his vision impaired, he could see exactly what was wrong with his hands._

_Some of his fingers were gone._

Peter didn’t know if he could handle going through that again. It was an experience he never wanted to repeat. It had been disconcerting to realize that he had literally been turning to dust before his own eyes.

_“Please.” He could barely feel Tony setting him down on the ground. Another wave of pain wrecked havoc throughout his body, making his tight grip on his mentor slacken._

_“I don’t wanna go.” Maybe if I say it enough this won’t be real, Peter thought to himself hysterically. This can’t be real._

Peter took a deep breath, trying to dispel the memories attempting to surge to the front of his mind. He can’t think about it now. If he did, he’d never muster up the courage to face Thanos again. Looking at the group now, his frustration couldn’t help but grow. Couldn’t they see how dangerous Thanos was? Did they not know the risks?

He had seen the others fade before him, turned to dust in a matter of seconds. Peter’s death hadn’t been so quick. He had felt his body’s enhanced healing trying to piece itself together as was turning to dust. The result left Peter in excruciating pain as the snap and his enhanced healing worked against each other. It had been the most Peter had ever been in his entire life.

It made him _afraid._

Thanos had done that with a simple snap of his fingers, imagine what he could do with a little more effort.

Not to mention, the fact that Peter remembered every detail of his death made him think that this ‘dream’ was something more. It made him fear for what was to come. Dreams weren’t supposed to physically hurt a person, but what if Thanos was the cause of this dream? Peter was so confused and frustrated. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to say. He briefly wondered if he should say something to Mr. Stark, but he had quickly dismissed the idea. Peter didn’t need anyone questioning his sanity when they needed to save the universe. His mental health could wait, there were too many lives at stake for Peter to make his mentor worry about him.

The danger presented was too great.

Which only served to make Peter’s frustration with all the arguing greater than it already was.

The main point of Peter’s frustration was that he had heard every single word before. He knew exactly what they were going to say. And none of it would save them from what was to come. They needed a plan that would actually _work_.

Peter was snapped from his thoughts when the group turned their attention to their resident wizard. He was looking into the future again. Peter walked over to the man along with Mr. Stark, but Peter already knew what Dr. Strange would say. Fear and dread of the wizard’s words made his stomach churn uncomfortably.

They did not have good odds.

The wizard was gasping for breath. “I went forward in time to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict.”

“How many did you see?”

“14,000,605”

_“_ How many did we win?”

“One.” Peter gulped. _Yup, definitely not good._

Then the wizard turned to look at the teen standing off to the side of Mr. Stark. Dr. Strange paused, as if he saw something odd in Peter, and gave him a weird stare. It made Peter slightly uncomfortable. Slowly, the wizard raised one hand, holding up one finger. If that hadn’t already emphasized their terrible odds, it was the word that Dr. Strange mouthed to Peter.

_“One.”_

And the wizard just continued to stare at him.

It was unsettling to say the least.

But what unsettled Peter more, was that he was fairly sure this hadn’t happened in his so-called ‘dream’.

…..

_No._

_Nonononono._

He can’t do this.

_Not again._

He couldn’t stop his rising panic at the sight of his comrades turning to dust. Quickly, he looked down at his hands. They had been the first to go last time. With sudden horror, he realized that he was going to die. For the _second time_. The first time he hadn’t completely understood what had been happening. He had just seen everyone disintegrating before his eyes, and the next thing he knew he was gone along with them. He hadn’t understood the concept of death before. He had never thought he would die. Peter thought he was invincible. Mr. Stark had told him that this job was dangerous. He understood, but he never truly believed it would be him who would bite the dust. But this time, _he knew._

_“I don’t…. I don’t know what’s happening.” That was a lie. He knew exactly what was happening. He was going to die, just like the others. He just didn’t want to accept it, and he wasn’t going to._

He knew his future fate.

_Or did he?_

Peter was fairly sure his enhanced healing had prevented him from immediately disappearing like the others. But his healing was a double edged blade, it kept him alive longer, but it had caused him more agony in the end. The healing factor kept trying to piece him, but it had been no use. The snap was inevitable, and it was happening _again._

Unwanted tears streamed silently down his face as he watched his hands disappear before his own eyes.

_“I don’t wanna go, sir.” He watched as more of his hand faded away before his eyes. The charred ashes of his skin dissipating as they flew in the air._

It was almost too much to handle. Peter was recalling his memories of death while simultaneously reliving it. He hated that he could do nothing. He couldn’t stop the memories. He couldn’t stop this happening again. He couldn’t stop Thanos.

He hated being so…

….weak.

He was supposed to be a hero, but here he was needing saving.

“Mr. Stark…” Peter called out weakly to his mentor.

And suddenly hands were wrapping around his chest, engulfing him in a hug.

“You’re going to be alright kid.” Tony’s voice cracked with anguish. “I promise.”

Now _that_ was a blatant lie.

And they both knew it.

“I don’t… I don’t know what to do.” Peter sobbed as he felt himself disappearing by the minute.

_“Please.” His voice came out in a cracked whisper, only loud enough for Tony to hear his last word._

_His eyes still turned to the sky, he finally relented his grip on reality to the power of the infinity stones._

_And then there was nothing._

“Help me… please. I can’t do this.” Peter was crying hysterically now, with what little breath he had left. “Not again.”

Peter hugged Tony tighter as his vision blurred into a swirling mass of various colors. He just had to hold on a little longer.

“ _Save me._ ”

Just a little longer…

“ _Please._ ”

He couldn’t hold on.

…..

_Life: 3_

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

His alarm blared as obnoxiously as it did every day, which annoyed Peter to no end. Why couldn’t he sleep in one more minute? It’s not like it would affect whether he was late to school or not. Peter was always late. Waking up early would not change that.

Sp Peter laid in his bed calmly trying to ignore his alarm.

And then he remembered.

Peter shot out of bed with a gasp. _What day was it?_ That was his only frantic thought as he snatched his phone off of his desk. Quickly turning the device on, he checked for the date.

_Crap._

It was the day of the field trip.

_Again._

The thought of facing Thanos again made him sweat nervously. He couldn’t help it. He was completely and utterly afraid. And he didn’t want to go.

He couldn’t.

_“_ Peter! You’re going to be late for school!” Aunt May once again called out to Peter from somewhere in the living room.

And then Peter lost it.

He sat on his bed sobbing into his hands. The hands that had previously been turned to dust.

_Some of his fingers were gone._

Crying quickly morphed into rage. _Why him?_ Peter screamed in frustration, letting out all his emotions from the past few days.

Or just the one.

The day he died.

Twice.

Standing up with a huff, he grabbed his still blaring alarm and threw it will all of his enhanced strength into his bedroom wall. Upon impact, the clock broke into a million pieces, scattering across the room. Some of the pieces even hit Peter, cutting into him and making small wounds.

But he couldn’t bring himself to care.

Why did it matter if he was going to die anyways?

It was inevitable, as Thanos so helpfully had pointed out. Peter would live through this day and he would die. Peter would turn to dust and half of the universe would die along with him. He knew the future.

His ‘dream’ hadn’t been fake, and it hadn’t been deja vu either.

Peter had been repeating the day. He could see it now, there were small differences between the two days but it hadn’t been enough. Thanos still won. _But,_ Peter realized, _I hadn’t tried to change anything either._ There were a few differences between the two days he had lived and he didn’t change much between them. Maybe he had said a few things differently but it had been enough to affect the rest of the day slightly.

_“How many did you see?”_

_“14,000,605”_

_“How many did we win?”_

_“One.”_

And then it clicked.

14,000,605 possibilites.

14,000,605 lives.

One victory.

And with the look Dr. Strange gave him?

_Then the wizard turned to look at the teen standing off to the side of Mr. Stark. Dr. Strange paused, as if he saw something odd in Peter, and gave him a weird stare. It made Peter slightly uncomfortable. Slowly, the wizard raised one hand, holding up one finger. If that hadn’t already emphasized their terrible odds, it was the word that Dr. Strange mouthed to Peter._

_“One.”_

The wizard definitely had something to do with this. He had mentioned an endgame but Peter had believed it wouldn’t involve him. Most plans would have been left to the older, more advanced heroes. But it seems Peter was wrong about that.

He was involved.

And now he was left with the sole responsibility of saving the universe.

_Well, shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is chapter 2 out of 4 that's already written!! I'm trying to get back into writing for this story, so hopefully I can have chapter 5 written soon. Anyways, I hope you guys liked this, and feel free to let me know what you think!


	3. Will it be worth it?

_Peter gasped as he looked at the gauntlet in his hands. He finally had it. The Infinity stones were in his grasp. The object that everyone had been fighting over. The ultimate power of the universe._

_He had been through so much just to get his hands on this power. He had lived and died over a million times. He had seen comrades die before his eyes. Some of them had died for Peter, others had been dusted, and a few had even been killed by Thanos’ hand himself._

_It was all to get this. Millions of plans, and this had been the only time they had gotten the gauntlet. This was the one. Peter was sure of it. There was no way that it wasn’t. If it wasn’t…. Peter wasn’t sure what he would do if it wasn’t. There was no other plan that he could come up with. No other solution. No other victory._

_This was their one victory._

_It had to be._

_There had been too much sacrificed otherwise._

_But, suddenly, Peter doubled over in immense pain. Choking, Peter glanced down at his stomach and immediately paled. There was a blade protruding from his midriff._

_NO. This couldn’t happen. Not now. Not after all Peter had been through._

_He finally had the gauntlet._

_He could WIN._

_And then a voice whispered next to Peter’s ear. “I am inevitable.”_

_And the blade was ripped out of Peter’s stomach with a dark chuckle from the purple titan. Peter’s legs collapsed beneath him, lacking the strength to hold him up any longer. He clutched his stomach with one hand, and desperately tried to hold onto the Infinity gauntlet with the other. He couldn’t allow Thanos to get it back. Tony had died for Peter to get it. Peter couldn’t allow his sacrifice to go in vain. Thinking quick, he sprayed the wound in his midriff with a large amount of his remaining webs. Hopefully that would keep him from falling apart. Shuddering as he gasped for breath, Peter tried to weakly kick Thanos with one foot while trying to push himself backwards with one hand on the ground._

_It was no use._

_Thanos only laughed at his feeble attempt to ward off the purple villain. “You were a fool for thinking that you could win.”_

_Thanos took deliberately slow steps, letting Peter know that the villain was in no hurry. When he finally caught up to Peter, the mad titan stomped a foot over his wounded stomach, effectively pinning him to the ground. The force of Thanos’ foot connecting with his midriff made Peter gasp in pain, his free hand immediately moving to try to grasp Thanos’s foot and try to free himself. It was useless. His hands desperately pushed at the weight pinning him down, but the foot would not budge._

_Tears streamed down his masked face._

_He could do this. He could beat Thanos. He had to win._

_There was no other option._

_Peter choked out a sob as he shoved the gauntlet over his hand. He would do what he had to. And he wouldn’t let anyone stop him._

_He was dead set on fixing everything._

_  
And then…._

_….Maybe this nightmare would finally end._

_Thanos, seeing the action, immediately acted and grabbed the wrist of the gauntlet. Only, Thanos wasn’t scared of the power Peter had just acquired, he was amused._

_Thanos chuckled darkly at Peter’s desperate actions, and his grip on the gauntlet tightened, the metal indenting from the pressure.“Children like you were never meant to hold this power. Only the chosen like me are worthy of it.”_

_Peter gasped in agony as another sharp stab of pain ran through his stomach. The stab wound bleeding though the webbing he had placed over it. Refusing to let his pain deter him from the task at hand, Peter struggled to close his hand._

_“You…” Peter’s voice was filled with hate. Never before had he hated someone as he hated the alien… no, monster before him. “… Will…”_

_His fingers twitched as the metal of the gauntlet crumpled, crushing his wrist._

_He screamed._

_But he refused to let Thanos have the last word._

_“….NEVER be worthy!!”_

_And then he snapped his fingers._

_The world became a blur of colors and pain. He couldn’t make sense of anything. He was simultaneously being ripped apart and put back together. It was similar to being dusted but completely different at the same time._

_The difference was that there was no coming back from this. With this snap, he was fixing everything. But, in the process, he was destroying himself._

_But, he couldn’t bring himself to care._

_Not after this nightmare._

_Well, if he had to go then he was taking the stones with him. They had too much power. They had destroyed too much. No one should ever hold this amount of power in their hands, and no one ever will. Not again._

_Peter clenched his teeth as a burning smell reached his nose. The stones surged with an immeasurable amount of energy. It was taking all of Peter’s willpower to control it and prevent it from destroying everything around him. Energy crackled around him, charging the air with the smell of burnt flesh. He valiantly fought to keep everything under control but with another influx of power, everything spiraled out of his grasp._

_His free hand grasped at the ground underneath him, trying to tether him to some semblance of reality. He was trying to hold on as long as he could. Mr. Stark had made him promise to continue on for him. His mentor had begged Peter to live, to save himself and get as far away as he could from the battle. It had been Mr. Stark’s last words, and Peter couldn’t deny him the last request. If only so Mr. Stark could rest in peace._

_Peter lied._

_Peter knew that at the end of the day he wouldn’t survive. He never did. Out of each life he lived, he died only to wake up on the same day. The day that Thanos invaded. It didn’t matter how long he survived. Days. Years. He always died by the hands of Thanos. He knew this. It was practically a fact by now, given with the amount of lives he had lived._

_So, with a deep breath, his lungs shakily taking in air, he let go._

_He let the energy of the stones take over._

_He let it destroy him._

_He had already given up on trying to hold himself together, the hole in his stomach wouldn’t stop bleeding no matter how much webbing he put on it. After all, what was the point if the stones were going to kill him anyways?_

_There was only one thing Peter cared about; Was it worth it?_

_Would sacrificing his life be worth the result?_

_Would he be able to fix everything?_

_Would Mr. Stark be able to forgive him?_

_He couldn’t breathe, the heat of the power emanating from the stones made him choke. The rising temperature added to the sweat building up underneath his mask. The fabric felt constricting, trapping him, refusing to let him get precious oxygen. His suit was melting under the sweltering heat, he could feel it burning on his skin. It was becoming attached to his skin._

_But he couldn’t focus on that. That one question was on the forefront of his mind, taking priority over everything else._

_Was it worth it?_

_The energy built up to it’s crescendo, no longer being able to contain itself within Peter’s body. With a scream, the energy burst out from around him, resulting in a large blast. The blast threw Thanos off of him and into the ground a mile away. The excess energy dissipated with a crackle, sparks of electricity floating in the air._

_He held onto consciousness until he saw Thanos’ army disappear into ashes and the fallen Avengers reappear with his snap. The sight reassuring him, he finally let his eyes close and let out one final sigh of relief._

_The darkness welcomed him._

_Was it worth it?_

_He faintly felt hands on his body, checking for a pulse, and trying to wake him._

_“Peter, kid. You promised. Wake up kiddo.” There was a choked sob. “You promised to save yourself.”_

_It would be worth it._

_“Don’t leave me Peter.”_

_Only if he didn’t have to relive that day again._

_Only if he didn’t have to relive that nightmare._

_Only if this was their one victory._

_One out of 14,000,605._

…..

Dr. Strange felt numb, he was stunned by his visions. This couldn’t be. There had to be a better way. So far, this had been his only vision to have a remotely positive outcome.

But it had still come with a too high price.

The wizard stole a glance at the kid standing next to Tony Stark, animatedly talking about how cool it was to be in space. The billionaire simply looked at his protege with an amused and indulgent smile. The sight made Dr. Strange quickly avert his gaze. He didn’t have a right to intrude on a private moment between the mentor and the kid.

Not with what he had to force the kid through.

Guilt grew at the bottom of his stomach as he prepared the time enchantment to put on the kid. It was the only way to ensure that they would win. Peter had to live through the failures and defeats of the 14,000,605 in order to make the sacrifice necessary for their victory. He would only understand and be willing to do what it takes only _after_ seeing what Thanos is capable of.

The only problem Dr. Strange had with this plan was that he wasn’t sure that this was the only victory.

He wasn’t sure that this was his only option.

Time is infinite, which leads to an infinite amount of possibilities.

But he only had the energy to view 14,000,605 possibilities. The stones may be all powerful but in order to wield a stone they extract a certain type of price from the user. There was a reason why no one had ever been able to wield all six infinity stones: using them comes with a cost. At the cost of the users life force. To use the power of all six stones could easily cost the wielder their life for even the most simple of wishes. Everything comes with a price, and the greater the wish, the greater the price. Using the stone now, his life was cut shorter and shorter.

But it was worth it if he could save the universe from Thanos.

So, he cast the enchantment on the kid, hopefully ensuring that they would win at least once. The enchantment would bring Peter back to this day every time he died so that he would have another chance at victory, but as with all things, the enchantment had its own restrictions. For one, Peter only had 14,000,605 chances to win. It wasn’t guaranteed that he would win in a single one of those lives, but Dr. Strange could only hope that it would be enough. Another was that once Peter won, that was it. It didn’t matter how high the cost or if they barely managed to win over Thanos, that one victory would become permanent in their timeline. Dr. Strange couldn’t take the chance that the 14,000,605 lives would end with a loss, because once the kid reached the 14,000,605th life it would become their reality.

No matter what.

Dr. Strange wished he could do more to help the kid with his journey but there was nothing more he could do. He had already given his life. Using the stone to see the future _and_ to place the enchantment on the kid guaranteed that he would cease to exist at the end of the 14,000,605th life. That was simply the price of the time stone, but Dr. Strange would gladly pay it if it meant that they could get that one victory.

With the 14,000,605 lives, Peter actually had a chance to save them all.

Dr. Strange just prayed that the one victory would turn out better than the one he had seen in his visions.

…..

This discovery left Peter reeling in shock. Reliving a single day repeatedly was practically unheard of, it was fantasy even.

It was like a remake of the movie Groundhog Day.

But this wasn’t a movie, this was his _life_.

And the last thing he wanted was to relive the same day over and over again.

“Peter! You should really start swinging to school! It starts in five minutes!” His aunt yelled out a reminder from the other room, where she was getting ready for work.

“Ok Aunt May! I’m leaving now!” He shouted back to reassure his aunt, and promptly leapt out the window.

If only he was actually going to school. There was no point in going if the planet was going to be invaded, and Peter was sure his aunt would forgive him for that but that didn’t keep him from feeling a little guilty about lying to his guardian. Instead of heading to school, he was swinging to the local park. He was heading to the place where this journey had started for him. He was sure Mr. Stark would be headed over here. After all, this was were Peter had saved his mentor from being pummeled into the ground by that creepy alien.

He would wait here and plan for the inevitable. The sooner he saved the world from Thanos, the sooner he could go back to his normal life. Well, as normal as his life could get. Which wasn’t very ordinary if one thought about it long enough, but the point was, he needed a way to fix everything.

He needed a _real_ plan.

For his past two lives he had simply been along for the ride. He had had no clue on what to do. He was just a kid wrapped up in something that was too big for him to handle. He was way in over his head. For Pete’s sake he knew the future, and he still didn’t know what to do.

“Think, Peter. _Think.”_ He muttered to himself as he landed on one of the trees in the park.

_Well, where did it all go wrong?_

That would be the best place to start. It would be an easy fix if he could just figure out when everything turned for the worse and just change that. He mulled over the thought for a bit, then suddenly everything clicked into place.

_“You’re not so strong now, huh? Where is Gamora?” Star Lord demanded answers from the restrained alien before him._

_“My Gamora.” Thanos uttered the words with the most emotion he had ever seen from the titan._

_“No, bullshit! Where is she?”_

_“He is in anguish.” The empathetic alien, Mantis, struggled to hold control over Thanos and prevent him from lashing out at the group._

_“Good.” Star Lord said the word with a sense of retribution._

_“He… He mourns.”_

_“What does this monster have to mourn?”_

_“Gamora.” The half-robot alien woman stepped forward with understanding._

_“What?”_

_“He took her to Vormir. He came back with the Soul stone. But she didn’t.”_

_And then everything went to hell._

That was the moment they failed. The moment Star Lord lost it was the moment they lost the war. Peter just had to prevent that from happening then everything would be fixed, _right?_

Simple.

He could fix this.

…..

When Mr. Stark came crashing into the park he was ready for it. He had been waiting for about an hour, anticipating the moment that the fight reach the place was hiding out. Peter sat in his hiding spot in the trees, holding out for the exact moment he could leap in and saved Mr. Stark from getting crushed. He couldn’t afford for anything other than stopping Star Lord to change from his previous lives. Even minuscule changes could have a drastic effect on how this timeline plays out.Everything had to stay the same except for that one change.

Everything had to be _perfect_.

Finally he saw his chance. He swung in and caught the alien’s hammer. “Hey, man. What’s up Mr. Stark?” Peter tried to stifle the nervousness in his voice.

“Kid, where’d you come from?” His mentor was honestly surprised to see him there.

“A field trip to—” Peter was cut off as a hand grabbed him and flung him to the side like a rag doll.

He quickly got back up and rejoined the fight, hoping that he was acting everything out the exact same. “Uh, what is this guy’s problem, Mr. Stark?”

Ok, so far everything was running smoothly.

He could keep up the act.

_I hope,_ Peter clung onto that thought like a lifeline as he continued the fight, reliving his previous two lives.

…..

“You’re not so strong now, huh? Where is Gamora?” Star Lord sauntered up to Thanos with unmatched confidence and demanded the answers he wanted from the restrained alien.

“My Gamora.” Thanos uttered the words with the most emotion Peter had ever seen from the titan. It was actually kind of sad to think about it, the alien had sacrificed his own daughter in pursuit of more power. Peter was glad that his uncle had cared and loved him like his own son. He could never imagine the man he loved as a father figure giving him up for anything.

“No, bullshit! Where is she?” The sharp tone was a cover up for the pain underneath. Peter theorized that the man had already known what had happened to his lover. Star Lord had just refused to acknowledge it until the others had brought it up.

“He is in anguish.” The empathetic alien, Mantis, struggled to hold control over Thanos and prevent him from lashing out at the group.

“Good.” Star Lord said the word with a sense of retribution. Peter could practically see the man’s thoughts: Thanos deserved to suffer for all that he had done.

“He… He mourns.” Mantis stuttered as continued to try to keep her grip on Thanos’ forehead.

“What does this monster have to mourn?” The other alien in the group was indignant at the thought that Thanos could actually care for someone other than himself.

“Gamora.” The half-robot alien woman stepped forward with understanding.

“What?” Star Lord glanced back at the woman, switching his attention from Thanos.

“He took her to Vormir. He came back with the Soul stone. But she didn’t.”

Peter was ready for this.

“Oh, no you don’t!” With one hand still locked firmly on the gauntlet, he used the other to shoot a web at the enraged Star Lord. The web pinned him to the ground, effectively keeping him from interfering in the plan.

A few seconds later, with a triumph yell, the gauntlet was finally free from Thanos’ grasp. Peter almost couldn’t believe it. They actually had it. For the first time in forever, Peter was stunned into silence. He just stood there in shock and awe at the object he held in his hand.

“Kid?” A hand snapped in front of his face. “Hello? Anyone in there?”

Peter was knocked out of his stupor and looked up to see his slightly worried mentor. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine. This is just so surreal.”

He stole another glance at the gauntlet in his hands. Peter just couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Well, you better believe it kid. The Avengers just pulled off another win.” Mr. Stark gave him a confident smirk. “Your first official victory as an Avenger, underoos. Congrats.”

“Yeah.” Peter gave him a small grin hidden from beneath his mask. “We just won.”

But it was _too_ easy.

In a split second, a subdued Thanos became an enraged monster, lashing out at everything around him. He easily knocked Mantis off of his shoulders, throwing her into the debris of the alien ship they had arrived in. Dr. Strange immediately took action, using his magic to try to hold him down. Seeing the commotion, Mr. Stark joined the attempt to contain Thanos.

“Peter _run!_ We can’t let him regain control over the stones!”

Peter took the billionaire’s words to heart and _ran._ He lost track of everything around him, only focusing on the drum of his heartbeat and the pounding of his feet against the ground. At some point (he couldn’t remember when), he was no longer running. Instead swinging from the remaining structures on the planet, trying to put as much distance between him and Thanos as he could. The further he got, the faster his heart beat. He couldn’t see what was happening with the others. He wouldn’t be able to tell if they won. He wouldn’t be able to tell if they _died_.

The mere thought of Thanos killing Mr. Stark made Peter panic. He couldn’t do this alone. He would fail without Mr. Stark’s help, and he would be forced to relive this day again. That was the last thing he wanted, but he couldn’t bring himself to look back at the scene he left behind. He had to continue on, and if he looked behind him there was the chance that he might see something he didn’t like. Then, there would be no stopping him from returning to aid in the fight and the gauntlet would be lost to Thanos. So, Peter refused to let himself take a glance, and tightened his grip on the gauntlet and _ran._

He ran like there was no tomorrow, because if Thanos got the gauntlet, half the universe wouldn’t live to see the next day.

He ran and swung, alternating between the two depending on the structures he passed. Where the buildings were too dilapidated he ran, and where they were barely stable to hold his weight he swung. He traveled the alien planet until he ran out of energy to continue any longer. Coming to a stop, he hid among the debris and fallen buildings.

Peter gasped for breath as he clung to the gauntlet. _I’m okay,_ Peter tried to reassure himself. _The others will be okay. They’ll survive. I have the gauntlet. Thanos can’t use it._

Those thoughts didn’t make him feel any better about their odds.

He looked down at the gauntlet and curled himself around it, clutching it to his chest.

_“Help me… please. I can’t do this.” Peter was crying hysterically now, with what little breath he had left. “Not again.”_

_Peter hugged Tony tighter as his vision blurred into a swirling mass of various colors. He just had to hold on a little longer._

_“Save me.”_

_Just a little longer…_

_“Please.”_

_He couldn’t hold on._

Peter cried at the resurgence of his memories. Why _now?_ This was the worst time for his memories to haunt him. He couldn’t deal with this now. He had to be brave. He had to keep the gauntlet from Thanos. He was the Avengers final defense against the destruction of half the universe.

But he was just a scared little kid who couldn’t handle a few memories.

Why was he afraid? Peter berated himself. They were just memories, they couldn’t hurt him. They weren’t real. It was all in the past.

_No._

_Nonononono._

_He can’t do this._

_Not again._

_He couldn’t stop his rising panic at the sight of his comrades turning to dust. Quickly, he looked down at his hands. They had been the first to go last time. With sudden horror, he realized that he was going to die. For the second time. The first time he hadn’t completely understood what had been happening. He had just seen everyone disintegrating before his eyes, and the next thing he knew he was gone along with them. He hadn’t understood the concept of death before. He had never thought he would die. Peter thought he was invincible. Mr. Stark had told him that this job was dangerous. He understood, but he never truly believed it would be him who would bite the dust. But this time, he knew._

Peter’s hands shook as grasped at the gauntlet, pulling it closer and closer to his body until he could barely breathe. He shuddered and closed his eyes, trying not to think about what he held in his hands. About what the object he held could do to him if in the wrong hands. He desperately tried to control his erratic breathing. His pulse was skyrocketing, heart beating rapidly.

If the memories weren’t real, then why did they hurt so much?

Peter didn’t know how long he sat there, curled up with the gauntlet in his possession. He just stayed there until he could control his body again. When the tremors running through his hands finally stopped, and when he could finally breathe again.

Shakily pulling himself back together, he checked the area for any signs of danger. He had a job to do. He couldn’t break down here. He was the last Avenger for all he knew.

The _last_ Avenger.

Peter almost broke down again at the thought. He was _alone,_ and stuck on a planet with no way of escape. He didn’t know what to do. He wished that Mr. Stark was here, the man was a genius and he always knew what to do.

_That’s it_! The thought struck Peter like lightening. He would go back to the battle grounds and find Mr. Stark. Then, they could get a real plan together to take down Thanos. Peter knew that Mr. Stark had told him to run, but he was just a kid. Mr. Stark was one of Earth’s greatest minds. If anyone could fix this mess it would be him. So, Peter would go back, but he would be careful. Peter refused to be the reason why Thanos won again in this life.

He would proceed with complete and utter caution. Peter made his way back to where they had confronted the mad titan. He crept around among the rubble and kept on guard for anything suspicious. It took him quite awhile to return to their original crash site, Peter hadn’t realized how far he had run in his panic to get the gauntlet away.

But, when he arrived he regretted making the choice of returning.

Every single one of the heroes he teamed up with were slaughtered.

They were all dead.

Even Mr. Stark.

All.

Of.

_Them._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo just a little bit of a cliffhanger on this one :) 
> 
> Also, I may or may not have forgotten to post this a couple days ago.... since I'm trying to catch up my ao3 to my fan fiction stories. Anyways, I seriously need to get back into writing this but I've been super busy so its been hard. Sooo yeah I'm hoping to find some more time after this next week. Anyways, this is chapter 3 of 4 that I already have posted on Fanfiction.net, so if you can't handle the cliffhanger then the next chapter is already on there lol. but this will still be updated on here in the next week or so.
> 
> Anyways, feel free to let me know what you think in the comments!

**Author's Note:**

> I've decided to start cross-posting on Fanfiction.net and AO3, so that means uploading my older fics. So, all my fics will prob be up on this site completely in the next few weeks. However, I'm under the same username on Fanfiction if you want to check out my works there.
> 
> This fic is actually my favorite out of all the fics I've written so far, so I hope you guys like it! Hopefully, I'll get back in the swing of writing for this fic soon, considering it's been a year since I've posted any works. I will probably update on AO3 every couple days for this fic until it catches up to the one posted on Fanfiction. There's only 4 chapters on there, but the next chapter is partially written and I just have to make myself finish it lol.
> 
> Anyways, feel free to let me know what you thought of this fic, and thanks for reading!
> 
> Original chapter posted 6/2/2019 on Fanfiction.net


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